Red Herring
by LisaBelleLove
Summary: With a tragedy narrowly avoided, Hermione and Severus must learn to live with each other, without magic in an effort to avoid capture by Death Eaters.
1. Chapter 1

**Thanks to Thanatoslives for both Beta reading, and encouraging this monstrous obsession. Here's looking at you, kid. Also, never fear, Pain Management fans. I'm not abandoning you. I promise. I still love you forever and always.**

Hermione wasn't sure what she was looking at. She knew it was bright, that it was heating her entire body to the point of outright pain. She knew in some corner of her mind that she should back away, that what she was looking at was bad. The heat flickered and danced and she gasped when she came to the sudden realization that it was fire. It was fire. And that was her house. And the last time she saw her parents, they were inside of that house. All at once, Hermione wanted to back away and run inside. She did the latter. Her feet carried her up the steps of the porch and through the front door-into a wall of flames. The heat was almost unbearable but she waited and listened. She listened for screams, for any sign that her parents were inside.

Suddenly, she felt something clamp around her waist like a vice. She was dragged from the house and away from the heat and forced behind a tree. The air felt very cold against her skin and she shivered both from the air and she thought maybe from shock. Her eyes couldn't register what she was seeing, but her body registered that she was being restrained and she fought it. Her fingernails raked at wool and then her hands were restrained.

"Granger-Granger, stop. Granger, stop it!" She looked up into a mask. A silver mask and screeched, wrenching her hands away and fighting harder. The man pulled the mask off and Hermione looked up again into sallow skin and dark eyes. He dropped the mask and gripped her wrists in his hands, lowering his face to be level with hers. "You're not supposed to be here. What are you doing here?"

"Where are they?" Hermione gasped, lowering her head so her face rested in the vee of her wrists. "Where are they?" She felt his hands release her wrists, but grab her by the upper arms and crush her to him. And then they apparated. She felt the tug at her navel and the sickening twisting and spinning and then they landed so hard her ankles throbbed with the force. He gripped her upper arms again and pressed her against a fence. She recognized that they were on Hogwarts grounds. "Where are they?" She repeated weakly.

"I removed your parents before the raid. They're safe. You were not supposed to be there," Snape growled, his hands gripping her shoulders painfully. He watched her eyes widen, and fill with tears. Her breathing quickened and she started to shake. He growled his frustration and steered her through the gate, up the grounds, and into the castle.

The Headmaster seemed to be waiting for them. The moment he saw Hermione, he leapt forward, taking her other arm and leading them both up the stairs to his office. Snape barked the password and they pushed her into the expanse of a room. Snape pushed her into a chair and he paced behind her. The Headmaster fixed Snape with a hard stare.

"What happened?" He demanded. Hermione had shrunk into herself, but looked more aware and a little less like a broken doll.

"A raid, Albus. Her parents were targeted." Albus stopped where he was pacing in front of her, but Snape hadn't stopped pacing behind her.

"A rai-Severus. Did you know about this ahead of time?" Snape must have nodded because Albus suddenly looked very angry. "Severus, I trust you to keep me informed. I trust you to tell me if someone is in danger, and you chose not to inform me of this, and now Miss Granger's parents have paid the price."

"Albus, her parents are safe. They have been moved and are not harmed. Their home, however-"

"Does Voldemort know about this?"

"No. It was done discretely." Albus seemed to relax somewhat and held his hands wide.

"He'll find out eventually, Severus. And then all four of you will be in danger." Snape dropped into the chair next to Hermione's and ran a thin hand across his face.

"I know," he said and Hermione noted that he sounded exhausted.

"Severus, we need to do something about this. Where are her parents now?"

"Brussels," Snape grunted. "I moved them to Brussels."

"Why Brussels?" It was the first time Hermione had spoken since they'd returned to the school. Snape looked at her like he'd forgotten she was there.

"Why not Brussels?" he countered. "It was the first place that came to mind." She nodded mutely.

"Severus, take Miss Granger up to the Head Girl's room. Return here when she's safe. We have more to discuss." Severus stood, refusing to speak aloud that the girl may well never be safe again. Hermione stood and moved her arm away from the hand he held out. She crossed her arms over her stomach and bowed her head forward so her hair concealed her face.

They walked side-by-side through the corridors in silence until they reached the stairs to the Head Girl's rooms. When they reached the door, they turned to look at each other and a mutual understanding seemed to pass between them. He nodded to her and she returned it with a small twitch of her lips. Almost a smile.

"Thank you, Professor," she said softly before disappearing behind her door. It shut with a soft click and only then did Severus descend the stairs to return the Headmaster's office.

-v-

"What is your plan, Headmaster? I'm sure you've had sufficient time to hash one out. I'm all ears." Severus dropped into the seat Hermione had previously inhabited and steepled his fingers beneath his chin.

"Severus, I'm afraid our only course of action is to hide all of you." Albus said, fidgeting with a sherbet lemon before finally popping it into his mouth. "Temporary relocation of you, Miss Granger, and her family is our only option if we're to keep all of you safe." Severus' mouth fell open but he quickly recovered himself.

"You intend to put is in some sort of witness protection program?" He demanded. Albus nodded.

"That's precisely what I intend to do. You're fluent in French, are you not?" Severus lurched to his feet and held his hands up in front of him.

"This cannot be the only option." He said. Albus smiled sadly.

"Severus, I don't mean to put the blame on you for this, but you chose not to include me in your decision making. Now I have to clean up the mess. If you are intent on dying, by all means, stay. I can't control you, you've made that much clear. My advise would be to relocate. You are far too valuable an asset in this war." Severus made a noise in the back of his throat, something like a choked growl, and backed into the chair he'd been sat in.

"France, then?" He asked resentfully.

"I believe so, yes."

-v-

Hermione sat cross-legged in the middle of the Head Girl's bed-a bed she was sure would he hers in the coming year. She must have been in shock; it was taking her much longer to settle and calm. She kept reminding herself that her parents were safe. But the loss of their home still stabbed at her, regardless. She yanked a pillow to her chest, shoved her face into it, and released the wracking sobs that she'd been fighting for hours. After a hot, lavender scented bath, Hermione crawled into bed wearing only her shirt and knickers. She would marvel in the morning at how quickly she was able to fall asleep.

-v-

Hermione woke with a gasp and a start to a loud rapping on both her door and her window. She climbed out of bed quickly, going to the window first to alleviate the owl that had a rather large parcel hanging from its beak. She took it and apologized for not having any treats handy. It looked at her reproachfully and took off again.

"I'm coming!" Hermione shouted at the door, still being banged on mercilessly. She tugged her jeans on from the day before and yanked her hair back into a ponytail. She pulled the door open and left it wide for Professor Snape to step through.

"What took you so long?"

"I was asleep," she grumbled. "I could have answered the door pantsless, would that have been better?"

"I don't appreciate your tone, Miss Granger," Snape said, his tone dangerous. Hermione sat on the edge of her unmade bed and nodded.

"I'm sorry, sir. You're right. I mean no disrespect," Snape nodded and stood before her, crossing his arms, and looking completely uncomfortable with being in a student's sleeping quarters. "Have you and Professor Dumbledore thought of a solution?"

"Indeed…" he paused, and Hermione looked at him impatiently.

"Well? What is it?"

"Albus is relocating us for the time being. To France," he said hesitantly.

"Relocating-but what about school?" She demanded, standing up now.

"Don't be child, Granger, our lives are at stake here. Your parents', too." They glared at each other for a moment before Hermione finally shrugged.

"Fine," she said. "Fine, I suppose I could study whilst abroad and finish school later-" she stopped abruptly. All of her belongings, including her school books, had been lost in the fire. Snape seemed to pick up on her train of thought.

"I will tutor you while we are away." His tone implied that he was less than willing to do so, and she chewed her lip carefully.

"If it's not too much trouble...I can't stand the thought of not graduating."

"Your priorities, Miss Granger, seem to be out of order," Snape commented, rolling his eye toward the ceiling. "Come with me, we have the fine details to discuss with Albus." Hermione nodded and followed him to the door.

She struggled to keep up. His legs were about two miles longer than hers and she hadn't eaten since lunch the afternoon before. Snape looked over his shoulder, noticed her several paces lagging, and slowed his gait so she could catch up. They ascended the stairs and Snape pushed open the door to the Headmaster's office.

Hermione barely made it through the door before warm arms enveloped her. Not just one set, but two. She immediately recognized her mother's perfume and her own arms wound around her parents. She realized suddenly that all three of them were crying and when she pulled away, even her father's cheeks were moist and his eyes red and swollen. Her parents kissed her and they all turned when the Headmaster cleared his throat politely.

"So glad to see all of you reunited and safe. So very glad. Now," he clapped his hands and rubbed them together, "we have much to discuss. You've all been filled in on the basic details, I assume?" Snape nodded, looking uncomfortable again. "Wonderful. Now we just have the finer points to work out." Albus conjured two more chairs and all four of them took seats, Hermione's parents next to each other, and Severus and Hermione beside one another. Hermione leaned forward with her elbows on her knees, watching the Headmaster with apprehension. "In my brilliant mind, I have worked out the perfect cover story. You'll be moving to the small, mountainous town of Gordes, France. Severus, Hermione, you will have new identities as Mr. and Mrs. Andreas and Christine Bronston-"

"I'm sorry, Albus-I may have misunderstood. Mr. and Mrs.?" Snape leaned forward, as well, looking almost angry. Hermione felt her expression melt into a similar one and both of her parents protested loudly. Albus held up both of his hands in defense.

"Silence," he commanded and everyone's mouths snapped shut almost audibly. "This needs to be believable, understand? How strange would it look for four separate people to move into a town of 2,000 population?" Severus sat back in his seat, seething. "A family moving together is far more believable. Albert, Jean, your identities will be changed to Frank and Nora Carey, Christine Bronstons' parents-Severus, I want no more arguments from you. Remember our discussion last night." Snape had sat up straighter and opened his mouth again to protest, but resolved to simply glare at his employer.

"Now, there needs to be a legal document." Albus waved his wand and a certificate floated to his desk. Snape leaned forward to take a better look. It was a marriage license with the Bronstons' names already printed neatly between two lines. The other lines were already signed, it was only missing theirs. Snape growled low in his throat and Hermione gasped softly, clapping a hand to her mouth. Her parents looked as though they were going to be sick.

"Professor Dumbledore, please," Jean said weakly. "Hermione's not of age yet, she can't possibly get married."

"Miss Granger is of legal age in the wizarding world, but you're correct. In the muggle world, she is still a minor. However, according to her new identity, she is twenty-four years of age." Albus wasn't kidding when he said his brain had been to work, Snape thought. Hermione lurched forward over her lap, her hand pressed to her mouth.

"Miss Granger, are you ill? The loo is just over there," Snape leapt to his feet, ready to take her there himself to avoid a mess. She held up both hands to keep him at a distance.

"No, I'm fine. I'm just overwhelmed, is all. This is a lot to take in." He couldn't disagree with that. Hermione straightened up, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. Her parents watched her with sympathy while Snape and Albus simply waited for her to collect herself. Snape reached forward and snagged Albus' quill to scrawl 'Andreas Bronston' above the printed name. There was no way around it. He handed the quill to Hermione, who signed Christine's name in turn. Albus rolled the license up and it disappeared. Snape glanced over at his new wife who looked absolutely terrified.

"Ah, one more thing I forgot to mention," Albus said, and Snape got the distinct feeling that he had not actually forgotten at all, but simply neglected. "You can't use magic."

"I beg your pardon?" Snape and Hermione said together, startling her parents.

"Magic is too easily traceable, Severus. If you leave a trail of residue, this entire project is for naught. No magic. In fact, both of you give me your wands now." Snape gripped his wand in his hand and finally, after a moment, placed it on the desk. Hermione's followed his, although even more hesitantly.

"Now, two homes have been procured in Gordes. Mr. and Mrs. Bronston, you will be living in a small house right in town. Mr. and Mrs. Carey, you will have a farmhouse on the outskirts." Hermione held back a smile. Her mother had always been an avid gardener. That ought to help her transition more easily. "And as I understand it, you've lost everything in the fire," when the three of them nodded, he smiled sadly. "My condolences. Miss Granger I took the liberties of retrieving your funds from Gringotts and converting it to Pounds." He produced a stack of notes from within his robes and handed it to her across the desk. She counted it carefully.

"Professor Dumbledore, this is more than what I had," she said, confused. He waved her off.

"Don't worry about it, dear. When one of our own needs help, we step up." Hermione gaped at him and when he motioned for her to put the money away, she tucked it into the pocket of her denims, blushing. "I'll ask you to wait until you get to France to shop, dear. You understand." She nodded mutely.

"Right!" Dumbledore exclaimed, "A portkey is set up at the gate, and you four have twenty minutes before it activates. Off you go! Severus, I'll be in touch via post. You can send any letters to me to The Black Horse in London. I will retrieve them there." Without another word, the four of them stood numbly from their chairs and left the office.


	2. To New Beginnings

Severus' feet hit pavement with a pop, followed by Hermione's parents, and finally Hermione herself. Who promptly fainted on the concrete. Jean shrieked and Albert gasped, rushing to her side immediately. Severus cursed under his breath and knelt to move her into a sitting position, her head resting in the crook of his elbow. The girl shouldn't have been traveling at all, and in the last twenty-four hours, she had both an incredibly rough apparition and a hurried portkey. Severus was also sure that she hadn't eaten since the day before, let alone consumed any form of fluids. He should have insisted Albus order food during their meeting.

"Should we call an ambulance?" Jean asked, stroking her daughter's hair. Severus shook his head. With his free hand, he dug through his robes until he found the piece of parchment with their address on it. He stood, holding Hermione upright against his chest and instructed her parents to hold onto him. One more apparition wouldn't hurt, especially since she was already unconscious. Severus was suddenly glad he'd taken the time to learn wandless magic. And this would be the last time he used it until he was given his wand back.

They landed together in the middle of a well-furnished flat and Severus laid Hermione out on the sofa while her parents went to the kitchen for water and food. Her mother returned with a glass of water, and her father empty-handed.

"It looks as though we'll need to go for groceries," he said. Severus nodded and took the glass from Jean. He lifted Hermione's head with his hand and her eyes fluttered open. For a moment, she simply stared at him, but when he pressed the glass to her lips, she drank deeply.

"Thank you," she murmured, and he nodded again, resting her back against the throw pillow.

"Perhaps we ought to go out to eat," Jean suggested and gave Severus a once-over. "Although, I'm sorry, Severus. You look like you're dressed for Halloween." He scoffed and looked down at his robes.

"Perhaps we ought to shop first, then. I'm sure Miss Granger and yourselves would appreciate some new clothes." Hermione had swung her legs over the edge of the sofa and sat up, running a hand through her chaos of hair.

"That sounds like a good idea," she said. "Is there a computer?"

"There's a desktop in the dining room, kitten," Albert said, taking her arm to steady her and leading her to it. Severus followed, curious as to what exactly a computer was, and stood behind her, his hands on either side of her head on the chair she sat in while she booted the boxy technology up. The computer roared to life with a jarring sound that caused Severus to jump where he stood. Hermione looked over her shoulder at him, smirking with amusement. She brought up the browser and typed in the search engine, Yahoo! being the most reliable. She typed so quickly that Severus had a hard time keeping up with what she wrote, but suddenly a list of shops popped up on the screen.

"There's a department store four blocks north," she informed them. "We can walk."

"You're not walking anywhere," Jean said in a tone that made Severus turn to her in surprise. Hermione turned a look of exasperation to her mother.

"Mum, I'm fine."

"You fainted fifteen minutes ago. You're not walking that far. We'll call a cab."

"For four blocks! Mum, don't be ridiculous," but Jean was already on the phone requesting a cab to their address. She hung up and looked at Hermione triumphantly.

"They'll be here in ten minutes," she said. Those ten minutes were spent glaring at each other until there was a knock on the door. Severus self-consciously removed his robes and coat, leaving him in a white button down and his trousers. Hermione regarded him with a nod.

"Much more muggle," she said with approval, taking him by the hand as they left the house. Severus had half a mind to snatch it back before remembering that they're meant to be married. They crammed into the cab, her father in the front seat, and Severus sat between his wife and mother-in-law. He was glad they were all relatively thin people.

"Printemps, s'il vous plait," Hermione said kindly to the driver.

The drive took all of five minutes, but he was glad for it. Hermione's eyes drooped twice just on the trip there. He reached across her and opened the door when the cab parked outside of the department store. Hermione reached into her pocket and pulled out her money, which had somehow been turned into Euros from Pounds, and handed the correct amount to the driver with a small thank you. She climbed out, followed by Severus and her mother and paused to collect her breath before continuing on. She jumped and her heart leapt into her throat when an arm snaked around her waist and she looked up, startled, into black eyes. He looked straight ahead and helped her inside.

"Darling, perhaps you ought to-"

"Don't even think about it, mum," Hermione snapped when her mother made a move toward a bunch of wheelchairs in the entrance of the store. "I can make it through a bloody department store without assistance." Jean held up her hands in defense and Severus removed his arm from her waist. Albert and Severus headed off in the direction of men's wear while Hermione and Jean veered for the women's department.

As Hermione sorted through the women's clothes, she pulled out several jumpers that she would have chosen in Britain. However, she thought, she was shopping for Christine. Not Hermione. This could be as a good a time as any to reform her wardrobe. Curiously, she wandered off in the Juniors section where garish light bulbs and trance music separated it from the more mature clothes. Her eyes found a rack of t-shirts and she pulled one free. It was white and heavily distressed with holes at the bottom, neck, and sleeves. The damned thing cost 40 euro, but she threw it across her arm to try on. Next, she found a pair of faux-leather trousers and held it with the t-shirt. A pair of wide-legged denims, white tank top, wedged heels, several pairs of flats and knee-high boots, a couple of dresses that Hermione would never wear but Christine would, and more faux-leather.

With her arms full of garments, Hermione found the fitting room and shut the door behind her. First, she pulled on the outfit she'd found first. The pleather hugged her hips, which were much more shapely than she'd ever noticed before beneath the loose denims she used to wear. The distressed t-shirt was fitted and dipped in at a waist she'd also been unaware of. She wondered to herself when she'd actually become a woman as she smoothed her hands down her sides. She strapped a pair of black strappy heels to her feet and marveled at what they did for her legs. Turning this way and that in the mirror, she thought she could actually pass for twenty-four in her new wardrobe.

"Hermio-Christine, dear?" Hermione jumped when she heard a knock at the door of her dressing room and turned to pull the door open. Her mother's eyes widened as it swung open.

"Oh, my. When did you grow up?" Hermione laughed softly.

"I'd had the same thought," she said. She gathered the rest of the clothes into her arms, leaving behind her old ones, and they walked together to the counter in the Juniors department. As she handed over the cash for their purchases, Hermione turned to her mother, a thoughtful look on her face.

"I think I'd like to visit the makeup counters," she said. Her mother nodded.

"I agree," Jean said. Their garments were bagged and they headed off in the direction of cosmetics.

Hermione was not well-versed in the world of makeup, so she chose the Estee Lauder counter. They advertised natural but edgy makeup. When the girl spotted Hermione, she grinned and flew over to her.

"Hello, darling!" She said in French. "Could I possibly interest you in a free makeover?"

"That would be wonderful, actually," Hermione said and allowed the girl to lead her to a high-sitting chair next to the counter. On the counter were products of various colors and Hermione chewed her lip in anticipation.

"What look would you like to go for?" Hermione thought a moment.

"Well," she said slowly. "What look would you put with this outfit?" The girl suddenly looked more excited and started working on Hermione's face. She pulled out different eye and face palettes, set aside samples of different products, and when she was finished about twenty minutes later, she turned Hermione to face a mirror.

She barely recognized herself. Her full eyebrows had been groomed and filled, her eyes lined and smoked subtly, and her cheekbones defined. A nude lip color had been applied to her lips, making them appear fuller than they were. Hermione released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and nodded with satisfaction. She looked attractive and was almost embarrassed to admit it to herself.

"I'd like to purchase everything you used," she told the girl, who looked as though she might faint on the spot with joy. She gathered the brushes and products and met Hermione at the counter while her mother was made over by Clinique.

"Can I interest you in our skincare line? You qualify for a free sample kit," Hermione smiled and nodded and continued her transaction. While Jean was worked on, Hermione found a mirror and finger combed her hair until it resembled something close to neat waves.

Once her mother had finished and gathered her products, they paid, and set off to find the men.

-v-

Severus held up a garish orange sweater that Albert had pointed out. He tried to imagine what Andreas would wear, and came up with only a muggle version of his own wizard wardrobe. He returned the sweater to its rack and instead pulled out several monochromatic button downs, jumpers, and turtlenecks in blacks and greys. He refused to wear jeans. Lilly had convinced him to wear muggle denims once and he swore off them within the first hour. He picked several pairs of black and grey trousers. Severus was a creature of habit and his taste in wardrobe wasn't likely to change. He didn't bother trying them on, and he and Albert headed toward the section of undergarments for much needed pants and socks.

With his arms full, he rounded back into the main aisle with his father-in-law, and stood next to a tall brunette woman in trousers made of a material he'd never seen before. It resembled leather, but had far too much shine. The t-shirt she wore looked as though flesh eating slugs had had a go at it. The woman turned to face him and it took him far too long to recognize her as his wife. She grinned at the expression on his face.

"Hello, darling. Are we all set?" She leaned forward and pressed full lips to his cheek. The girl was a good actress, he would give her that much. He wasn't sure why his arm wound automatically around her waist. A waist, he noted, which was far more defined than he imagined it would be. How had she become a woman in the span of an hour? He didn't care for the way her father watched him.

"Erm-yes," he said, dumping his clothes next to Albert's on the counter. They paid for everything and Severus took Hermione's bags for her, concerned about the heels she'd chosen to wear in her current state of low blood sugar. As they exited the store, he put arm around her waist again and the way she leaned on him for support did not go unnoticed.

-v-

They took a cab first back to their flat to drop their bags and then asked the driver for his restaurant recommendation. He took them to a small bistro a couple of blocks from the flat and let them out with a kind goodbye. Severus did not touch Hermione this time as they entered the restaurant. The hostess, a handsome blonde man, led them to a table in the middle of the floor. His eyes roamed over Hermione and Severus had to stop himself from ripping the man's pretty blond hair out of his scalp. He wasn't going to contemplate that urge too closely, but it startled him nonetheless.

Hermione took a seat across from her mother, and Severus across from her father. Albert continued to eye Severus with irritation. Jean stroked Hermione's hand from across the table. A waiter stopped by their table and dropped off menus and took their drink order. Jean ordered a bottle of wine for the table and water for everyone.

"The Bordeaux Panini sounds lovely," Hermione said offhandedly. She looked up and noticed the way her father was looking at Severus. "Daddy? Is there a problem?"

"Severus, I want to make something clear with this situation," Albert said, his tone low and dark. Severus looked up from his menu, startled.

"And that is..?"

"I want you to keep in mind that this marriage to my daughter is fake," Albert told him, and the look in his eyes almost scared Hermione. "Keep your hands to yourself or you and I are going to have a problem. Understood?"

"Dad!" Hermione hissed and flinched when he turned those same eyes to her. She leaned forward and lowered her voice to a murmur. "I want you to keep in mind that this bloody farce of a marriage is supposed to look legitimate. You and mum touch. All the time, and much more than how _Andreas_ ," she put particular emphasis on the name, "was touching me. For God's sake, that was much less than Ronald touched me in front of you and you never said a word."

"Ron was your age," Albert said simply and Hermione sat back, throwing her hands up.

"There it is, then," she said. "I also want you to keep in mind that neither of us had a choice in this, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't make it more difficult than it has to be."

"I promise, _Frank_ ," Severus put emphasis on Albert's assumed name as well, "I have no intentions of otherwise deflowering your daughter." Hermione covered her face with one hand and muttered a soft 'Oh, God,' next to them. Albert's face turned an unpleasant shade of puce just when the wine came and Jean shoved a glass into his hand.

"I think I've rather lost my appetite," Hermione said, swirling her wine glass and focusing her attention on it.

"You're eating," Severus said gruffly. When the waiter came back around, Severus ordered them both the Bordeaux. Albert and Jean ordered the same thing to split.

-v-

After a meal in uncomfortable silence, Albert and Jean opted to take a cab back to Severus' and Hermione's flat to retrieve their bags. The other two decided to walk the couple of short blocks back. Severus did not loop his arm around her waist this time, and instead walked with his arms behind his back.

"I'm sorry about my dad," Hermione said after a block of silence. Severus shrugged.

"I must admit that I never expected to deal with in-laws in my life," he told her candidly and she laughed.

"I never expected to have a husband at seventeen, but here we are." He didn't laugh. They came upon the stairs to their stoop and Hermione stepped up ahead of him. He was not going to watch her pleather-clad arse.

"I do have a question for you," she said over her shoulder and he hummed in question. "What makes you think you would be the one who deflowered me?" She stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to face him, her head tilted softly to one side. "What makes you think I haven't already been deflowered?" He stopped, as well, staring gape-mouthed at her. It was the wine. It had to be the wine that drew those words from her mouth. It certainly wasn't in character for her. But it may have been in character for Christine, he thought. Perhaps it was Christine saying these things and not Miss Granger. He narrowed his eyes at her and took the rest of the stairs and, with great control, put a hand to her hip and guided her inside.

Once the door shut behind them, he rounded on her, pressing her against the living room wall. She looked up at him with apprehension but made no move to free herself. He loomed over her, his face only inches from hers. He was so close that she could smell the wine on his breath. She swallowed thickly.

"To quote your father, do not forget that this marriage is fake. I'm a grown man, Miss Granger. I am not one of the idiots you call your friends. If you want to play this game, I will play along, but you will lose in the end. Is that something you want?" Hermione swallowed hard again and shook her head. "I didn't think so. I'm a man, Granger. Not a boy. Do not play me." When he stepped away from her, she took a deep breath, feeling as though the air had suddenly thinned and she could breath again. She pushed passed him and sat on the couch, unbuckling her heels and kicking them off. She stood again and went to the kitchen to prepare tea, only to find the cupboards bare.

"I'm going to the shop," she said, digging a pair of flats out of one of her shopping bags and slipping them onto her feet.

"Not alone, you're not," Severus said sharply. He hadn't moved from where he stood by the wall but turned to face her. She sat up and looked at him impatiently.

"Why not? I've thoroughly humiliated myself. You're telling me I can't walk down the street to the shop and have a moment alone?" He fixed her with a stare.

"Have you forgotten why we're here? Because we're in danger? Because there could be Death Eaters looking for us at this very moment?" Hermione gritted her teeth.

"And have you forgotten that we're supposed to be safe here? I'm going. I'll see you soon." She brushed passed him and opened the door, shutting it with a snap that made him wince.

Hermione was glad it was still summer. As she crossed the road to walk on the opposite side of her flat toward the small shop she'd seen on their cab ride, she wrapped her arms around her middle and mumbled angrily to herself. What was she thinking, flirting with him like that? She told herself that it was Christine, and not her, but thinking back, she wasn't so sure. She'd enjoyed the way he touched her and the way his arm felt around her. That was a thought that sent shivers down her spine in the most disturbing way. She barely knew the man, and what she did know about him sent every signal that his touches should not have sent her stomach into somersaults. And the way he stood over her, almost threatening her, should not have made her want to return his touches.

A few shops down from the grocery store, Hermione spotted a hair salon and went inside on a whim. There was one older woman with curlers in her hair sat beneath a large hair dryer, but aside from her, there were no other customers. Hermione walked up to the counter where a stylist stood, looking thoroughly bored.

"Bonjour," Hermione said tentatively. "Je voudrais faire mes cheveux, s'il vous plait."

"Your hair?" The stylist responded in French. "Of course! What would you like done?" She motioned for Hermione to sit in one of her chairs and began running her fingers through the tangles.

"I think I'd like it darker," Hermione said thoughtfully. "And it needs shape."

"Yes, I completely agree," the stylist said with a nod. She told Hermione to wait a moment while she mixed the color and gave her a magazine to scan.

When Hermione left the salon, it was with hair three shades darker and soft highlights around her face. Her hair had been layered and styled into soft waves just passed her collarbones. She made her way into the grocery store, purchasing only the necessities and a couple bottles of wine and bourbon, nervous about purchasing alcohol for the first time, before making her way back to the place that she would have to call home. The cashier hadn't even asked for her ID.

"What took you so long?" Severus leapt from the sofa as she pushed through the door with arms full of grocery bags. "Merlin, what happened to your hair?" He reached a hand up to touch it, but let it fall back to his side.

"Oh, I stopped by a salon-needed something new." Severus looked at her strangely, and she returned it before going into the kitchen to put their groceries away. He followed her, watching her closely. Gone was the irritatingly childish girl that had sat in the front row of his classroom only a couple of short months before. Hermione put the kettle on and readied tea, trying her hardest to ignore his eyes on her.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to figure me out," she said as she poured tea into two blue china teacups.

"I think I am," Severus said softly, taking the teacup from her. "You bought bourbon? Have you ever drank bourbon?" He eyed the bottle on the counter and she shrugged.

"Once or twice. I remember liking it," she opened the bottle and poured a shot into her tea, and then offered the bottle to Severus who did the same. They both sipped and hissed when the burn of the hot tea and the heat of the liquor burned their throats.

"So, what are you trying to figure out?"

"I'm trying to figure out how my swotty little teenaged student turned into a woman in a dressing room." Hermione blushed, ducking her head.

"Turns out I was so enthralled with school and passing my classes that I missed my body going through puberty," she laughed. Severus chuckled and leaned against the counter across from her. "I was just as shocked as you, I promise." She looked down at herself and shrugged.

"We should retire," Severus said. She nodded in agreement. "In my worry, I needed to keep busy, and put our belongings away." She smirked at him and nodded again.

"I appreciate that, and I'm sorry for making you worry." They put their teacups in the sink to be washed in the morning and walked together to the bedroom.

With one bed.

Hermione stopped in the doorway and Severus nearly collided with her. He was about to snap at her, when she turned to look at him nervously. He understood her apprehension immediately.

"I'll take the sofa," he said. She shook her head.

"No, don't be ridiculous. It's just that-I've never slept in the same bed as someone before." He scoffed.

"You've been 'deflowered,' but never actually slept with someone?" The girl could blush for all of England. She shook her head again. "Well, come along, then, Granger. The bathroom's to the right over there. Joggers and sleepwear in the top drawer. She dug through until she found a pair of cotton sleep pants and a tank top and disappeared into the bathroom to change. She tossed her clothes from the day into the hamper by the door and went back to the bedroom, ignoring the nervous butterflies in her stomach, and climbing into bed. She took the side closest to the bathroom. Severus got in next to her, and she was thankful that the bed was so large. He wore cotton trousers and a t-shirt. She rolled away from him, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.


	3. To Communicate

**A/N:**

 **Heeeyyyyyyyy, two story updates in one day. Who am I?!**

 **So, Severus is awkward AF, we all know that. Yes? Yes. *nods***

"How did your night go?" Hermione looked up at her mother. Quite frankly, she was exhausted. She and Severus had had a difficult time adjusting to sharing a bed and neither of them slept particularly well. She'd woken in the morning and realized upon looking in the mirror that she'd forgotten to wash her face. Her eyes were ringed with melted mascara and eyeliner and her lipstick was smeared. She barely had time to wash her face and style her hair into what looked like an intentionally messy braid before her parents called and invited them to breakfast.

"Fine," she answered simply, rather than getting into how tired she felt. She and Severus sipped strong espresso drinks and nibbled on their fruit and eggs. Her parents exchanged looks but seemed to shrug to themselves.

"Our house is quite large," Albert said conversationally. He seemed calmer than he'd been yesterday, but Hermione suspected it was a mask. Severus was also careful not to sit too close to her.

"Yes, it's a wonderful home," Jean added. "Why don't you two come round for dinner tonight?" Hermione smiled and nodded.

"That sounds lovely," Severus said. They finished eating and paid their bill. Jean and Albert left them to attend the market, and Severus sent Hermione on her way. He told her he needed to tend to some personal matters and would see her at home later. She shot him a curious look before nodding and wandering away, in the opposite direction of their flat. Since she was left to her own devices, Hermione thought it might be the perfect opportunity to explore their new small town. She passed several boutiques, ventured into a couple, and left without purchasing anything. She hoped to find a bookstore, and after passing another boutique and a convenience store, she found one.

It was small, quite quaint, but seemed to have a decent selection of new and used books. For a while, she wandered, pulling out the occasional volume to flip through and then replace. But soon, she pulled out more than she replaced and wound up with an armful of various books, both fiction and non. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was getting closer to lunch time, and brought her selections up to the counter. The walk home was blessedly uneventful and quiet. She swung her bag as she walked and soon came up to her flat.

Hermione hadn't noticed the previous day how devoid of personality the flat was. She dropped her bag by the door and found Severus at the dining room table, perusing a newspaper. She gasped softly. He'd cut his hair short. Very short. It accentuated his cheekbones and jawline and made his nose less prominent.

"Where've you been?" He asked offhandedly without looking up.

"I thought I'd find a bookstore, and lost track of time-Professor," she wandered toward the table where he sat. "You look fantastic." His eyes jerked up to hers in surprise.

"You had a good idea," he said slowly, "creating a new look for yourself." His eyes traveled from her face, across the sheer white tank top she wore with a grey bralette underneath, and down the jeans that hugged her hips and flared out from her thighs in a wide leg reminiscent of what the girls wore when he was her age. She shifted uncomfortably beneath his scrutiny. In an effort to avert his attention, she sat down across from him at the table and pulled the newspaper he read toward her. There was nothing remotely interesting headlined, and she pushed it back toward him.

"I was thinking," Hermione said, looking around the dining room. "We could be here a while. I wouldn't mind redecorating," Severus looked around, as well, nodding in agreement. He made to reach into his sleeve, and seemed to startle when he realized that not only was he wearing muggle clothes, but he didn't have his wand. With a sigh, he shrugged.

"I suppose you'll want to go to the shops, then?" With a grin, Hermione bobbed her head up and down. If they were making a new life for themselves, she was going all in. Who knew how long they would be there? Even after redecorating, Hermione thought they would still have enough funds to ride on for a while.

-v-

"I am not sleeping on pink sheets," Severus grumbled, crossing his arms against his chest with a sneer. Hermione huffed. They stood in the middle of a large department store, glaring at each other.

"But they're gingham! And look at the thread count, imagine how lovely they'll feel."

"I don't care what pattern they are, I'm not sleeping on pink. Look-these are basic."

"They're black…" she said, disappointed. He nodded.

"No frills, no ridiculous patterns. Plain, basic, black."

"But what about these?" Hermione moved toward a light grey bed set with only the slightest bit of frill and tufting. Severus stepped over to her and seemed to examine the package more closely than what was really necessary. He nodded and tossed it into the trolley.

"Acceptable," he mumbled. Hermione tried not to think too hard about the strangeness of picking out bedding with her Potions Professor.

Next, they moved to furniture. The sofa was basic, white and comfortable. True to character, everything Severus was drawn to was black. Every time Hermione made a face, he found the most garish shade of forest green he could and suggested that instead. In the end, they agreed on black throw pillows both for their bed and for the couch. But Hermione snuck in a couple of blush colored ones, to which Severus sneered and grumbled about too much pink. They agreed on copper accessories, and Severus chose a geometric hanging lamp for the living room that he found rather fascinating. Finally, they chose abstract art wall hangings (that Hermione hated but she wasn't going to risk losing her throw pillows by speaking up,) and a leather chair.

With the furniture and larger items set to be delivered the next day, Hermione and Severus dragged their overflowing bags to their taxi.

"Pink pillows," Severus said, shooting Hermione a glare out of the corner of his eye. Hermione stuck her chin out and fixed him with a glare of his own.

"They're blush, and a little colour will not kill you."

"How long have the two of you been married?" The cabi asked in English. Hermione startled, while Severus snorted.

"Erm-six months," she replied.

"Newly weds, eh? You're in for a ride." Hermione wasn't sure what the cabi meant by that, but she knew he couldn't be wrong. Glancing at Severus out of the corner of her eye, she could tell he was thinking the same thing.

They spent the rest of the ride staring out their opposite windows. Hermione's mind strayed to her home in England, at Hogwarts in Scotland. She wondered what class Harry and Ron were in right now. She wondered if they missed her, and if they had any idea what had happened to her. She wondered what they would say about her situation. But she didn't have to wonder; she knew her boys well enough to know exactly what they would say.

" _Dumbledore's lost his mind,_ " Harry would say. " _Where is the greasy git? If he's touched you-_ " And Ron-Ron would be too angry to say anything. Or he'd hold it against her. He did that often, hold things against her. She frowned and realized with a start that the car had stopped and Severus was nudging her arm. They gathered their bags, paid the driver, and headed up the stairs to their flat.

Sitting in the mailbox next to their door was a long, thin envelope. It was parchment. Hermione's heart jumped into her throat and she reached out to pick it up, but Severus was faster and snatched it from the box before her fingers could even get close. He glanced at the front, stuffed it unceremoniously in his coat pocket, and nodded for her to follow him inside. His features had grown intense and when she shut the door behind them, he tossed the bags he was holding aside and pulled the letter back out, not even sparing her a glance before he ripped it open. Hermione chewed the nail on her ring finger nervously. His eyes scanned the parchment quickly, and he seemed to visibly relax. He handed it over to her and she read it, as well.

" _Mr. and Mrs. Bronston,_

 _I hope you are well! Things here are going swimmingly, of course. Should you need to communicate further, please walk your missives to_ _Breloques, the bar around the corner from your flat, and give it to Louis. He'll know how to transfer it. The best of luck to you both, and you know what they say: No news is good news._

 _-Bumblebee."_

"Bumblebee?" Hermione murmured, furrowing her eyebrows.

"His name means Bumblebee," Severus explained offhandedly. When she looked up, he was sitting on the sofa, pulling his shoes off. "We have means of communication with our world, which is important. Don't forget that we're in the middle of a war, Miss Granger. It hasn't stopped because we're not physically in it."

"You think I don't understand that?" Hermione snapped, kicking her own shoes off and crossing into the small kitchen. She busied her hands with tea.

"Just don't let this new lifestyle allow you to let your guard down. Ever. Don't stop looking over your shoulder. Don't trust anyone." When she turned around, he was standing behind her. Closely.

"Not even you?"

"No one." She flinched, pressed against the counter, and frowned up at him.

"Understood, sir." They stood that way for a moment, her against the counter, him standing so close that the air felt tight. They held eye contact like for a moment before he stepped back.

"I believe I agreed to tutoring you for you NEWTs."

-v-

"The four branches of Transfiguration are-"

"Transformation, Untransfiguration, Vanishment, and Conjuration," Hermione recited diligently. Severus looked at her over the bridge of his nose, head tilted forward.

"If you continue to interrupt me, we won't continue this," he warned. She chewed her lip and flipped through her notes. She glanced at the clock at jumped to her feet. They'd been at it nearly three hours and were meant to be at her parents' house in an hour. Severus began putting his shoes on calmly while Hermione called a cab to pick them up. Severus thought that perhaps a driver's license might be necessary, as he was getting rather tired of paying cab drivers.


End file.
